Kelowna's harshest cold snap of the winter has brought about a different kind of social distancing. With temperatures hovering around -10°C this morning, there were sometimes hundreds of metres separating pedestrians on the waterfront.
A lot of people stayed hunkered down on Tuesday, but those who ventured out were rewarded with sunshine and lots of space to enjoy it.
"The promenade looks pretty empty," acknowledged one gentleman strolling the waterfront. "I'm from Manitoba, this is great," he explained.
"This is like a normal winter day," he added. "It's okay, I lived in Calgary for a while," added another. "You've just got to wear the right clothes."
Over by the Stuart Park ice rink, the theme continued. "We're both from Alberta," said one of the skaters. "So we're used to the cold temperatures. We're just happy that it's sunny out."
A local skater said, "It's nice and sunny, so I don't mind it today."
"It's your exposure to the sun that keeps you warm," explained another. "Forget about the temperature."
Later in the morning, more people could be seen out and about.
"The sun is beautiful, but yes it's cold," acknowledged one woman who was all bundled up and walking with a friend.
And there's no immediate relief from the cold. Environment Canada has been forecasting overnight lows to about -15°C tonight. Overnight lows later in the week are forecast to dip as low as -21°C.
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